[Lottery Larry]

"It is there to protect someeon that isn't familiar with poker that doesn't know he has to show his hand toplay the board."

Why not change the rule to require that players hold ONTO their hand, but not have to show them, if they are playing the board?

That removes all doubt as to who is involved in the pot and who isn't. If you fold your hand, whether face up or face down, and it is killed in the muck, you are no longer involved in the pot, whether your hand is subsequently turned up (and could be a winner) or not. You fold, you give up your split.

If you hold onto your cards but no one shows anything to beat the board, you turn in your unflipped cards AFTER you claim your portion of the pot and the hand is finished.

How is this different than when everyone folds, you collect the pot and ONLY then turn your hand in? What do you gain by allowing people to verbally declare "I play the board" and then fold their hands before collecting the pot?

The only thing you lose is if someone is slipping cards into the game and you might catch them this way.
Is there a potential angle shot in here, where you hold your winning hand but declare "board"... and then turn over your winner to take the pot away from people?

I would only want a variation on the above if someone was angleshooting by verbally declaring a hand that they DIDN'T have, in order to get others to fold and increase their share of the split. I might want another ruling when it's an obviously rookie player, but I'm not sure how to fairly handle that.

Any thoughts?